


The Devil's Adversary

by sykron (night_kaze)



Series: Deal with the Devil [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angst, Demon Deals, Drama, Gen, Minor Character Death, Platonic Relationships, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Tragedy, hints of romance, slight gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:30:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2160690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/night_kaze/pseuds/sykron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unable to handle the death of their grandfather, Lovino and Feliciano Vargas make a pact with a demon to bring him back. Unfortunately, all things come with a price. [Sequel/Side Story to Sinful]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here's the first chapter of that sequel to my other story, Sinful, that I promised a few of you forever ago. Like I mentioned, it focuses on the Vargas brothers and their story this time around. 
> 
> **You don't have to read Sinful to understand this story.** This can be considered an independent story from Sinful. I hope you guys enjoy this one! 
> 
> Note: Everyone in the story is speaking Italian unless mentioned otherwise or if their words are italicized.  
> - _Nonno_ means grandfather in Italian  
>  -Julius Vargas is, of course, Grandpa Rome

Lovino woke up to the soothing motion of someone petting his hair. He couldn’t see their face since he was facing the wall, but he knew it was his grandfather checking up on him before he went to work. Every morning he would do this, which sort of bothered him but at the same time didn’t.

“Nonno, I’m trying to sleep.” He weakly grumbled as he pulled the covers over his head. His grandfather removed his hand with a chuckle. The mattress creaked as he stood up from the bed and walked to the door, his footsteps echoing throughout the room. The footsteps stopped but there was no sound of the door opening. There was only silence.

Lovino didn’t know why his grandfather was hesitating, so he sat up with a huff and sleepily rubbed at his eyes. “Nonno, what’s-“ He stopped and looked around the room in confusion. It may have ben dark but he was sure that there was no one there. His grandfather had left without him realizing. 

_That’s strange_ , he thought. He hadn’t even heard the door open. 

He considered going back to bed, but he no longer felt sleepy so he decided on seeing his grandfather off. Lovino got off from his bed and made his way to the door and opened it. The soft creaking sound it made brought his curiosity back. He wondered why he hadn’t heard it before…

The hallway was still dark because the sun hadn’t risen yet, but it wasn’t terrifying. Lovino made his way through without any problem and went down the stairs to the living room. 

“Ah, Lovi!” His grandfather greeted him with a smile as he fumbled over his tie. “Good morning! What are you doing up early?”

“You woke me up.” Lovino yawned. His grandfather looked puzzled. 

“Did I? I didn’t know you could hear me from upstairs..”

“It was when you came up.” Lovino grumbled. “You woke me up when you were touching my hair.”

At this Julius frowned. “But I haven’t been up there…yet…” His words trailed off and something Lovino couldn’t identify passed through his eyes. “Lovino, where’s your cross?”

“In my bedroom.”

“Remember to where it at all times. Feliciano, too.” His grandfather gave him a smile. “It keeps the ghosts away.” 

Lovino nodded. “Okay, nonno. Are you leaving soon?” 

“Sí.” Julius’s gaze softened at the look of disappointment his grandson wore. “I will be back before dinner, like always. Bella should be here at nine for your and Feli’s lessons. Be nice to her okay?”

“I’m always nice to her!” Lovino protested. His grandfather laughed and ruffled his hair fondly. He gave Lovino one last hug, his eyes trembling only slightly as they moved up and down his grandson’s back. 

“Be good Lovino.” He whispered. “And take care of your brother. Always be there for each other. I love the both of you so much, never forget that.”

“Nonno?” Lovino blinked. What had gotten into his grandfather? 

“Ah, sorry Lovi. My mind is in a different place right now. Why don’t you go have breakfast while I say goodbye to your brother, sí?”

Lovino nodded and headed to the kitchen. He had taken only a few bites of his cereal when his grandfather came into the kitchen. “Well, I’m off.” He kissed Lovino on his forehead and looped his cross around his neck. “Don’t forget to wear it. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

His grandfather gave him one last lingering smile before leaving. Lovino watched as he munched on his cereal, not knowing that would be the last time he would see his grandfather alive. 

 ------------------

Lessons always took the majority of the morning and part of the afternoon, much to the exasperation of both Lovino and Feliciano. However, they never complained (much anyway) since Bella and her brother Lars always made it interesting- well, Bella did anyways but Lars could be fun at times, too.  
The best part about Bella and Lars though, was that they would sometimes reward the two brothers with a special treat after lessons. It would always motivate Feliciano to get through his lessons without falling asleep. 

Fortunately for them, today was one of those days.

When the last of their lessons were over and Bella had triple checked that they understood everything, she smiled at them and turned to her brother. “I think they did a really good job today, don’t you Lars?”

Lars looked at the hopeful faces of Lovino and Feliciano and huffed in amusement. “I suppose so.”

“I think they deserve a treat.” Bella’s smile widened as she winked at the two boys. “How does a cake sound?”

“Magnifico!” Feliciano beamed and hugged his brother. “We’re having cake Lovi! Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah.” Lovino smiled slightly, also excited about eating one of Bella’s delicious homemade cakes. 

“We have to save some for nonno so he can have some when he comes back!” Feliciano added. “He loves your cakes Bella!”

Bella laughed, a slight tint of red on her cheeks from being complimented. “Sure thing. Now, who wants to help me shop for the ingredients?” 

\------------------

 

It didn’t take long to gather all the necessary ingredients. Most of them they already had. Lars was subjected to holding the paper bag full of ingredients while Bella teasingly told him that she would be willing to help him if he asked nicely. This got her a flick on the forehead, much to her annoyance. 

Lovino and Feliciano were a bit farther ahead. Lovino had to occasionally pull his younger brother away from a shop that was too far for his liking, Feliciano pouting every time. Bella, taking pity on him, took Feliciano inside one of the stores while Lovino and Lars stayed outside. 

After several minutes, Lovino began to grow bored and looked around a random street for anything exciting. He couldn’t see anything though because of the large group of people in the street. Curious, he tugged on Lars’ sleeve. “Why are there so many people there?”

Lars followed where Lovino was pointing, eyes widening slightly. He put the groceries down and quickly told Lovino to stay put before he ran in the direction of the people. Lovino stared after him, wondering what had happened to get Lars so panicked. 

Just as he was about to go after him, someone bumped into him. Lovino was brought back to reality and turned to the boy who had run into him. 

“ _Perdón!_ ” The boy smiled apologetically. The unfamiliar language took Lovino aback. “ _No estaba prestando atención de donde estába caminando._ ” 

“Um, it’s okay.” Lovino responded, understanding that the boy was apologizing. “Just…watch where you’re going.”

The boy grinned, his green eyes twinkling mischievously. “I will.” 

“Ah!” Lovino angrily pointed at the boy. “You _do_ speak Italian!” 

“A bit.” The boy laughed. “I’m Antonio. _Y usted_?” 

“…Lovino…”

“It’s nice to meet you Lovi!” Antonio giggled before running off. He stopped and turned to Lovino, his expression a bit more serious than before. “Lovino?”

“What?” He snapped. 

“Let’s be friends one day, sí?” Before he could question the sudden statement, Antonio cheerfully waved goodbye and ran out of sight. 

Lovino stared after him, wondering why there was a sudden feeling of unease in his chest. 

 

\------------------

When Bella let them help in baking, the tasks were always divided the same way. Feliciano would decorate while Lovino would mix the ingredients. Of course, Bella would put the batter in and take the cake out an hour later. Lars would supervise and would sometimes step into the kitchen to make sure the cake had not over cooked. He also had to swat away any hands that tried touching the cake before it was ready to be eaten, which was much easier said than done. 

When the last swirl had been frosted onto the cake’s surface, the sun had already begun to set. Lovino and Feliciano stared at it with a mixture of pride and hunger. 

“Not yet you two.” Bella chided, playfully smacking away the boys’ hands from the cake. “Don’t you want to wait until your grandpa comes home? I’d bet he’d really like a slice after a hard day at work.”

Lovino and Feliciano looked at each other and then back at Bella. “Okay.” They said simultaneously. 

“Good boys.” Bella laughed and ruffled both their heads. Only Lovino grumbled at this but he was ignored. “How ‘bout we go to the living room and play a game while we wait?” As the two opened their mouths to answer, there was a knock on the door. “Lars, can you get that?” Lars said nothing and silently went over to the front door. Lovino couldn’t hear who it was, but the bad feeling he had felt earlier returned tenfold. The urge to tell Feliciano to go upstairs and hide overwhelmed him to the point that he almost didn’t hear Lars’ cry of shock. 

Bella immediately ran to where her brother was, Feliciano quick behind her. Lovino hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately followed. 

Lovino reached the front door just as Bella screamed. Her and Lars were covering the opening so Lovino and Feliciano couldn’t see anything. Lovino knew something was outside, something that was making two grown adults pale white. As he was going to ask them what was happening, Bella sobbed out something that made Lovino’s blood run cold- his grandfather’s name. 

Feliciano raced forward with Lovino not far behind. Together they broke through the wall Bella and Lars had made. It took the two adults exactly six seconds to realize it, but that was enough.

Time seemed to stop. 

A few meters away from the front porch, lying on the pathway to the gate, was their grandfather. His body was on its back, displaying his ripped up stomach and chest clearly. Intestines and blood were spilled all around him with deep, claw-like marks deeply embedded into his body. His eyes, now a milky color, were as wide as his mouth was, as if he was still feeling an agonizing pain even after death. 

The stench of blood and death were so prominent in the air that Lovino gagged. Feliciano threw up. They both made a run for their grandfather’s body, but Lars had caught them before they could. Tears were streaming down both their faces when Lars dragged them back into the house and slammed the door shut. 

Lovino dropped to the floor and reached out for his brother. They clung to each other all night, the cake stayed in the kitchen completely forgotten. 

\------------------

 

The funeral was six days later. 

Dressed in their best Sunday clothes and clinging to the other’s hand, Lovino and Feliciano watched as their grandfather- wearing a suit they were not aware he had worn on his wedding day- was lowered into the ground in the plain wooden coffin they had barely been able to afford. Feliciano had not stopped crying since the night they found their grandfather outside their home, though he was silent now. His voice had long since gone out from screaming so much. 

Lovino was in a similar state except he was silent by choice. Unlike his younger brother he had not spoken since that night, choosing to silently cry and hold his brother instead. Bella had tried countless times to get him to utter something but in vain. Lovino would not speak because he knew he would end up as hysterical as his brother. As much as he wanted to cry and shout about how unfair everything was, he couldn’t. The promise he made with his grandfather the last time Lovino saw him rang in his head like a mantra. He was the eldest and had a responsibility to protect Feliciano now that their grandfather was unable to. Even if that meant he had to pretend that he wasn’t breaking apart inside, then so be it. 

Still, Lovino couldn’t help but to give in to a bit of his despair as the casket was closed. No one noticed his choked sobs as most people were attempting to pull Feliciano up from where he was attempting to jump down into the hole. Lovino did his best to dry his tears and went over to embrace his brother. 

“He didn’t even say _goodbye_.” Feliciano rasped out, clinging to his brother as his life depended on it. 

It was getting increasingly difficult for Lovino to force down his tears. “He didn’t say goodbye.” He repeated. He desperately hoped that Feliciano had not noticed the tears soaking his hair or how his hands trembled as he held him closer. 

\------------------

 

Lovino and Feliciano were left alone after the procession ended. Bella and Lars were waiting for them in the car, all the way on the other side of the church grounds. Feliciano was draped over the freshly put gravestone while Lovino was on his knees and trying his best not to break down. They didn’t speak to each other, but their hands were clasped tightly together. For Feliciano, it was a form of comfort. For Lovino, it was what was the only thing keeping him grounded. 

They didn’t know how long they had been there until a pair of footsteps came up to them. Lars kneeled down besides them and placed a makeshift bouquet in front of the grave. The flowers were all the same- all of them had five bright yellow petals that reminded Lovino of a halo. There had always been a batch of those flowers in their house. Their grandfather had always said they were his favorite flowers. That was why they had also outlined the inside of the casket. 

“It’s almost sundown.” Lars spoke quietly. “We should go and get you two settled in.” 

“No!” Feliciano hugged the gravestone tighter. “Let’s stay a bit more, nonno will get lonely if we leave now!” 

“Feli…” Lovino started. Feliciano looked him in the eye and he almost began crying again. He didn’t want to leave either, but it was beginning to become dark and neither of them had brought coats. “We’ll visit nonno tomorrow.”

“But Lovi-!”

“He wouldn’t want us to get sick because of him.” It was a low blow and he knew it, but it worked. Feliciano shut his mouth and looked at the gravestone. After a moment, he rubbed his red eyes and gave a watery smile to his brother.

“You’re right. Let’s go.” 

Lovino took his hand and they followed Lars out of the cemetery. All three of them were unaware of the figure watching them with a devious grin.


	2. Chapter 2

Their grandfather had been their only living family- Lovino and Feliciano were never aware of how their parents died; their grandfather never said- so it was a relief for Lovino when Bella and Lars told them they could live with them. Feliciano hadn’t said a word at the announcement but his grip on Lovino’s hand loosened considerably, which he took to be a good sign. 

Bella and Lars didn’t live inside the city like most did. Their home was right outside of the city, where the lands were still forests and unburdened by buildings and roads. It didn’t take long to reach by car- about fifteen or so minutes if Lovino kept count right. Feliciano had dozed off almost the minute they got inside and leaned heavily on his brother. Lovino himself was watching the scenery pass by in a daze, though there wasn’t much but darkness. There were times he thought he saw something moving outside, but it was too dark to see. 

“We’re here.” Bella turned around in her seat and smiled down at the two. “It’s too dark to give you the tour, but we’ll do it tomorrow bright and early.” Lovino nodded and then lifted a hand to wake his brother up when Bella told him not to. “He’s had a rough day, you both have. Lars can carry him to his bedroom.” 

As soon as she said that Lars had opened the door to the backseat and gently lifted Feliciano away. Lovino followed him to the front door as Bella began bringing in their belongings. “Do you want to share a room?” He asked Lovino. 

“Sí.” Lovino responded.

“Alright then.” 

Lovino nodded and looked around his surroundings while Lars waited for Bella to bring the keys. He couldn’t see much except for the front porch and the faint outline of trees near the back of the house. It reminded him of the stories his grandfather used to read him and Feli about witches and their homes. He imagined a witch living inside the woods, far away enough for no one to notice but close enough to keep a watch on the two boys who had just moved in, rubbing her wrinkled hands together in anticipation for the right moment where she could lure one in and then-

Lovino gulped and made a move to grip the cross around his neck. He looked down in a panic when he realized it wasn’t there. Frightened, he told Bella he had lost it. Bella looked contemplative. “Maybe you dropped it in the car? You can go ahead and check, but be quick.” 

He mumbled a _‘thank you’_ before rushing to the car. It was settled on the side of the dirt road a bit away from the house, pointed in the opposite direction from which they came from. He opened the car door and patted the seats down for any traces of his cross, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it stuck between a fold. He felt a wave of protection settle over him the minute he put it on and shut the door. He intended to turn towards the house when something caught his eye.

Lovino gazed out into the open road and, not even 30 yards away from him, was a shadowed man looking right at him with a wicked grin and glowing red eyes.  
Lovino screamed and ran as fast as he could into the house. He told Bella what he saw and Lars quickly grabbed something from a cabinet and headed outside. Bella tried her best to calm him down, which he only did when Lars reentered and said there was no one outside. “No one’s this far from the city at this time.” Lars patted his shoulder in comfort. “You probably saw a wolf. A pack of them live in the forest and only come out at night. You probably saw one getting ready to hunt.” 

Lovino quickly accepted Lars’ explanation, but he couldn’t stop trembling. He ended up sleeping with Lars that night while Bella slept with Feliciano (Lovino had demanded one of them look after his brother, which the siblings obliged far too easily). Between Lars’ promise to not fall asleep until Lovino did, and the cup of milk Bella gave him, he was able to fall asleep faster than he’d thought. 

He dreamt of his grandfather running away from the red-eyed shadow, grinning the entire time as he easily caught up to him.

\------------------

It took a few days for the two to get settled in mostly because, though they had their clothes with them, they hardly had any other possessions. Everything they owned was still in their house in the city and both Feliciano and Lovino refused to step back in there. It was up to Lars to pack up all their belongings, which required travelling back and forth between the city and their new home for three days straight. Bella always made sure to have a hot cup of coffee and a slice of cake ready for him.

Once they were able to fit everything into their shared room, Lovino and Feliciano decided to explore their new surroundings. It turned our to be an unsuccessful venture. Many of the rooms were locked, including the basement. Bella explained that most of the rooms were used for storage and that they were a few dangerous objects inside that she’d rather not risk they play with. When Feliciano asked why don’t they just place all the dangerous things in the basement, Bella laughed nervously. “We never thought of that. You’re a smart one, aren’t you Feli?” She ruffled his hair. Feliciano smiled. “Why don’t we all go into town and buy some sweets?” 

Lars took them into town in the afternoon. The streets were crowded, so Bella took their hands and told them to stay close. Bella tried her best to guide them through, but one particular bulky man bumped into Lovino. He involuntarily let go of Bella’s hand and was swept away by the crowd until he felt someone grab his hand and drag him into am emptier part of town. Lovino gaped at the boy he had seen the day of his grandfather’s death. “You!” 

“ _Hola_!” The boy- Lovino couldn’t remember his name- cheerfully greeted him. Lovino snatched his hand back and took a step back. The boy pouted. “You don’t have to mean, Lovi.” 

“It’s Lovino, not Lovi, you creep.” He never liked it when strangers shortened his name to Lovi.

The boy continued to pout. “That’s not my name.” 

“I don’t care.” Lovino huffed.

“I just want to be friends…” He muttered dejectedly. “I even saved you from that crowd…”

Lovino turned a dark red. “I was fine! I didn’t need your help!”

“You were walking backwards though.”

“S-shut up!” Lovino sputtered. “I’ll be your friend if you shut about this, okay?” 

“Sí!” The boy beamed and took Lovino’s hand in his. “My name is Antonio Fernandez Carreido. We’re going to be good friends, Lovi!” 

“It’s Lovino. Lovino Vargas. Stop calling me-hey,” Lovino raised an eyebrow when Antonio’s eyes widened. “What is it?” 

“A-Ah, it’s nothing.” Antonio let go of Lovino’s hand and laughed somewhat nervously. Lovino continued to stare at him. “I have to go. I was supposed to meet my brother a while ago…goodbye Lovino! I’ll see you another time!” And with that, Antonio turned on his heels and sprinted back into the direction of the crowd, leaving a bewildered Lovino once again staring after him.

\------------------

Weeks passed by and Feliciano and Lovino slowly began to adapt to their new surroundings. It had soon become common routine to wake up to the smell of Bella making breakfast, having their lessons until mid-afternoon, and then either help Lars with errands throughout town or play around in the backyard until the sun set. Though Lovino wouldn’t outright admit it, he always preferred going into town with Lars to get a chance to talk to his new so-called friend. Feliciano, having met Antonio a few times already as well, claimed he and Lovino were best friends (Lovino would turn red but didn’t say anything to deny it).

The best part for Lovino, however, was that Feliciano was finally laughing again. His brother had gone into a bit of a depression since the funeral, but the change in scenery and Bella and Lars’ kindness had helped him go back into his cheerful personality. To see his younger brother smiling again was the greatest thing Lovino had ever seen. It was short-lived, however. 

In Bella’s defense, she had not known what she had said until much later. Feliciano and Lovino were helping Bella put away some groceries when she mentioned that the four of them should visit the ocean before it got too cold. Feliciano had dropped the sack of flour in his hands and, with teary eyes, had run away before Bella realized he had done so. Lovino felt his own eyes water and told an anxious Bella why Feliciano had run away. 

“Nonno promised to take us to the ocean on Feli’s birthday.” 

As Lars comforted Bella, Lovino looked around the house for Feliciano. He wasn’t in any of the unlocked rooms and he doubted that Feliciano was in the locked ones. After searching the bathrooms and living room, Lovino decided to check the backyard. He opened the back door and noticed that the sun was minutes away from setting. Lovino hesitated, remembering the glowing red eyes he had thought he’d seen. Feliciano wouldn’t have gone outside right before dark, would he?  
Lovino ran out into the backyard and yelled out his brother’s name. There was no answer. 

By this time Lovino began to grow worried. The backyard was large and filled with multiple flowers- there were even the ones his grandfather had loved outlining the entire area- but there were no ideal hiding spots. Feliciano wasn’t there, which left only one spot that Lovino had yet to check- the small clearing in the woods. It was Feliciano’s favorite spot, but they hardly visited because Lars would chide them every time they did, but that didn’t matter right now. Lovino took a deep breath and sprinted towards the clearing. Once he broke past the barrier of leaves that posed as an entrance, relief flooded through him as he saw Feliciano leaning against a tree not too far from him. The branches above him were wide enough to let the last rays of sunlight pass through, illuminating Feliciano and his tears. It reminded Lovino of a story he had once heard about an angel that had fallen from heaven and cried until he could no longer feel the pain of losing his wings. He didn’t like that image at all. 

“Feli?” Lovino sat down next his brother and wrapped an arm around him. “Bella’s sorry. She didn’t know-“

“I know.” Feliciano sniffled, snuggling into his brother’s side. “But that’s not why I ran away.” 

“Then why?”

“It’s going to sound silly.” Lovino looked at him and Feliciano sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you but you can’t tell Bella or Lars.” Lovino nodded and, after a deep breath, he continued on. “When Bella said the four of us should go to the ocean, it hit me that we’re no longer a part of nonno’s family. We’re still Vargas’, I know that, but it doesn’t feel like it. We have a new family, and I really like Bella and Lars, but I’m afraid I’m going to end up forgetting about nonno one day. A-and-“ Feliciano sniffled and wiped away a tear, “I don’t want to forget him, Lovi. I love nonno with all my heart, even if he’s not here anymore.” 

Lovino didn’t know what to say, so he only hugged Feliciano tighter and tried his best as if his brother’s words had affected him. “Feli, we’re always going to be a part of nonno’s family. He’ll always be ours, and he would want us to be happy and not cry over him forever.” 

Feliciano held onto his brother tighter and cried onto his brother’s shoulder. “I really miss him.”

“Me too.” 

“I wish he’d come back.” 

“I wish that, too.” 

“Well, if you guys are _really_ sure about that,” an unknown voice said disturbingly close to them, “I can make that happen.” Lovino and Feliciano jumped at the unfamiliar voice, the younger instinctively hiding behind the older. Lovino looked all over the area to try to find the voice and almost screamed as he found blood red eyes a few meters away. They were the same eerie color he had seen in the distance. The man’s other features were covered up by the darkness the two brothers had failed to notice had descended upon them. 

“What’s the matter, kids?” The man spoke again. His voice was filled with amusement and laced with something that made Feliciano hide behind his brother further. “Scared?” 

“W-who are you?!” Lovino’s voice trembled with fear. “And what are you doing here?!” 

“Gilbert Beilschmidt, at your service.” The man stepped closer to the two boys as he spoke, revealing snow-white hair and a devilish smirk. “And you can say I’m here to grant you a wish.” 

“A-a wish?” Feliciano peeked from his brother’s shoulder. “Are you an angel then?” 

The two boys jumped again at the sound of Gilbert’s laughter echoing throughout the clearing. “I’m something much better.” Gilbert said after he composed himself. “An angel would let your grandfather rot in the ground. _I_ , on the other hand, will not.” 

Feliciano perked up at his words. “You can bring nonno back?” 

A grin. “Yep. He’ll be just as he was when he was alive.” 

“And how are you going to do that?” Lovino eyed the man suspiciously. “Magic?”

“Something like that, yes.” Gilbert shrugged. “Though the process isn’t that important. All you two have to know is that your precious nonno can come back. For a price, of course.” 

“A price?” Feliciano frowned. “We don’t have money.”

“Not that kind of price.” Gilbert’s grin widened so much Lovino thought his face would split in two. Unfortunately, it didn’t. “Here’s my offer- I’ll bring your grandfather back, just like he used to be before the incident, for a small piece of your souls.” Before Lovino or Feliciano could react, a small mirror materialized in Gilbert’s hand. He offered it to Lovino, who took it warily. The two boys looked down into the glass, almost instantly entranced by what they saw. They hardly even noticed as Gilbert spoke on. “That mirror reflects what I’d take. It’s just a meaningless part of your souls- you’ll hardly notice it’s gone.” 

“And then we can see nonno?” Feliciano asked, slightly dazed. 

“Yep, I guarantee you will see your grandfather. He’ll be back to normal and the three of you can be a family again. And here’s the best part- I’ll come to collect when you both turn eighteen, so you don’t have to be frightened by having that small speck of your soul taken right now. What do you say?” Gilbert extended both his hands out- one to Feliciano and one to Lovino. “Do we have a deal?” 

Feliciano eagerly extended his own hand to agree, but Lovino stopped him. “How do we know you’re telling the truth?” He asked Gilbert. 

Something flickered passed Gilbert’s eyes but it was gone as soon as Lovino had blinked. He snapped his fingers and a coffin appeared in the center of the clearing with a cloaked figure sitting on top of it. With one glance from Gilbert, the figure hopped off the coffin and knocked on the wooden surface. A few tense moments passed by until a muffled voice spoke and leaving both brothers breathless. 

“Lovi? Feli?” 

“Nonno!” Both boys ran towards the coffin and tried lifting the top, but it was far too heavy for them. Gilbert and the cloaked figure watched on in amusement.  
“Believe me now?” Gilbert looked smugly down at the Lovino. “Or do you need more convincing?” 

Lovino said nothing, still trying to process that his nonno was _alive_ and that this man had done the impossible. They could be a family again, and go back home, have breakfast and dinner together, go to sleep to the sound of nonno’s voice- 

“We’ll do it.” 

Gilbert grinned. “Give me your hands.” Lovino and Feliciano extended one hand each. Gilbert took them in his own hands. Almost immediately they felt a small sting on their chest, right where their heart was. The pain was gone in a matter of seconds. “The contract is complete.” Gilbert snapped his fingers again and the coffin lid disappeared. “Hope you boys enjoy seeing your grandfather _just_ as he is…” A hand emerged from the coffin, holding a knife. “As the cold-blooded hunter he really is.” 

Gilbert disappeared as Bella and Lars ran into the clearing with pistols in their hands. Bella shot for Gilbert but he was already gone. Lars ran forward to where the two brothers stood transfixed as their grandfather emerged from the coffin. “Lovino, Feliciano, get out of here!” He shouted. “That’s not your grandfather, that’s-!” 

“You shouldn’t spoil the surprise.” The cloaked figure stood in front of him, blocking his way to the boys. “It’s no fun that way.” 

“Get out of the way.” Lars pulled out a knife and swung, but the cloaked figure just laughed and dodged easily. Bella took advantage of the situation and ran towards Feliciano and Lovino, but it was too late. Their grandfather had come out of the coffin and was giving them a calculating look. His eyes weren’t the warm honey-colored they remembered, but a solid brown with tints of red. He positioned the knife towards them to keep them from coming closer. “Devil’s children.” He spoke coldly. “I will give you five seconds to disappear before I slay you.”

“Nonno,” Feliciano took a hesitant step forward. “Why are you-“ Bella was barely able to deflect the knife aimed at Feliciano’s chest with her own blade. Feliciano stumbled backwards and fell onto the grass, tears falling down his face. Lovino was too stunned to move. 

Their grandfather looked at Bella apathetically. “Why are you defending them?” 

“Because,” Bella swung the blade but was blocked,” I made a promise to you, Julius, that I’d take care of them.”

“I never said that.”

“You did.” Bella twisted her blade and nicked Julius’s arm. “When you had a soul.” 

“Then I was soft.” Julius growled. “Souls make us weak! It is the only reason why you protect these damnable children!” He looked at Lovino straight on. “I was a fool to love you and your brother. I wasted years loving such worthless children-!” Lovino never heard the rest of what Julius had to say. Lars had escaped the cloaked figure and had stabbed Julius in the chest.

\------------------

Feliciano watched in horror as he saw his grandfather die for the second time. Something in him seemed to snap. This was his fault. Him and Lovino were beginning to enjoy their new life, and Feliciano had to mess that up by being oversensitive. Had he not run into the clearing, had he not made Lovino follow him, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Lovino wouldn’t have had to have face their grandfather’s cruelty and Feliciano wouldn’t be feeling like his world was being undone. He wished he could forget this had all happened, if only he could forget-

“In that case,” the cloaked figure appeared next to him, his hood turned down so his face was revealed. Feliciano’s eyes widened in surprise as something about the man’s face struck him as familiar, “would you like to make a deal with _me_?”

\------------------

“Lovino!” Bella dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the stunned boy. “Are you okay? What did that demon say to you?”

“He…” Lovino felt tears run down his face. “He said he could bring nonno back. That he’d take a small part and he’d bring him back. I knew it sounded to good to be true, but then we heard nonno’s voice and-“ 

“Lovi, calm down.” Bella shushed him. “It’ll be okay.” She opened her mouth to question him about a few more things but Lars interrupted her. 

“Where’s Feliciano?” 

It felt like a bucket of ice cold water had hit Lovino. He searched wildly for his brother but could not find him anywhere. “Feliciano!”

“Shhh, you’ll wake him.” The man, face hidden once more, whispered. Feliciano was in his arms fast asleep. “He had a hard day, he deserves to sleep don’t you think?”

Lars pointed his pistol at him. “Put him down.” The man did as he was told and laid Feliciano gently on the grass. Lovino tried to run to him, but Bella held onto his arm tightly. “What did you do to him?” 

At this the man grinned. “I gave him what he wanted. The poor boy wanted to forget, so I let him forget. That’s all.” 

“Forget?” Bella eyed him. “Forget all this, you mean?”

“Forget _everything_.” The man clapped his hands in glee. “That includes you, Lovi. He probably doesn’t even remember his name. Ah, but if you were to tell him that’s a different story but you’d be going against his wishes. I wonder what you’ll do…will you protect your brother from everything or will you let him suffer with you? Decisions, decisions.” 

“That’s enough!” Lars shot at him but the man danced around it. “Get out of here!” 

The man laughed and disappeared without a fight. Lars walked around and scanned the perimeter for any other demons while Bella checked for injuries on Feliciano. Meanwhile Lovino stood there, staring at his brother’s peaceful face, as the man’s words ran through his mind. _‘Will you protect your brother or let him suffer?’_

He had promised his grandfather a long time ago that he would protect Feliciano. He had failed at that, but he would make sure to never do so again. He went over to Feliciano’s unconscious form and tried his best to not show the guilt he was feeling. He knew what he had to do. 

“Bella,” Bella looked up and was caught off guard at the seriousness and pain in Lovino’s eyes. They were ones she had seen plenty of times before, but never in a child. She watched as Lovino took a deep breath, rapidly blinking away tears, before speaking again. Though he tried his best, Lovino’s voice broke at the end and left him breaking out into a sob. “I don’t think Feli can stay with us anymore.” 

He would protect his younger brother from everything- the demon, the pain, the guilt- no matter what. He’d make sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to college and midterms, this chapter is broken down into two parts so I can have more time with the next part. 
> 
> Eliot is Luxembourg (I had to include him once his official design came out)  
> And the two vampires mentioned are OC's, not nations. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

\------------------

**10 Years Later**

\------------------

_Fucking vampires_ , Lovino thought in irritation as he carefully followed the creature from afar. _They’re all the same, those bastards._

Why he had taken it upon himself to kill the monster, he had no idea. Yes, there was a bounty on this vampire, and a particularly high one at that, but Lovino wasn’t much interested in the reward. Rather, if he really had to think about it, it was probably because the vampire was a sleazy, over-confident asshole who reminded him way too much of the demon that had cursed his life almost a decade ago. There was no way he was going to risk the chance of someone else suffering the fate he and Feliciano had, and if that meant following the damn monster until Lovino had a chance to strike, then so be it. 

_Still_ , Lovino thought bitterly as the vampire turned yet another corner, _I still can’t fucking stand them_. 

He had been in the business long enough to know that vampires followed the same, almost mundane, pattern of attack. They would wait until the sun set to come out of their hiding places- only stories placed them as sleeping in coffins; vampires do not sleep- and then they would wait in the shadows for an opportunity. Drunkards and easily charmed woman and men were the usual victims, since vampires preferred to have a submissive meal to feed on as much as they can. Once they were done draining the blood from their victim, the vampire would then either move on to the next meal or turn the person into vampires themselves. Lovino hated it when they turned their victims because that meant they fucking multiplied and made his work even harder. 

Speaking of complicating his work, Lovino stopped walking and ducked behind a wall. He peered over to where the vampire himself had stopped walking and was now speaking to a man. Lovino was too far away to hear anything, but felt something amiss when the vampire forcefully grabbed the man’s wrist and dragged him into an alley. Ignoring the feeling of dread pooling in his stomach, Lovino quickly made sure the cross around his neck was hidden from view before he grabbed his pistol from his jacket’s inner pocket and neared the alley. 

The alley was so dark that Lovino couldn’t see anything farther than the length of his arm. A pained groan came from deep within the alley. Lovino quietly stepped towards it, his eyes and ears hyperaware of his surroundings and his finger ready to pull the trigger the instant he saw fangs. 

Eventually, he found the source of the groan. It had come from the man who had been dragged in. He was on his knees, clutching his neck tightly, and the darkness hiding his face completely from Lovino’s sight. Now he knew something was wrong. Vampires rarely left their victims alive, and when they did they were never left conscious. Lovino furrowed his eyebrows at the oddity of it all. _What the hell is going on? What kind of vampire leaves their victim-_

Realization dawned on him at the same time his ears caught the faint sound of _something_ moving in the darkness. Lovino barely had time to sidestep out of the way of the pair of fangs aimed for his neck. His pistol was firm in his grasp as it was pointed at the vampire’s head. Before he could pull the trigger, the vampire turned to face him- revealing the handsome visage all vampires had to attract prey- and spoke in a low, sultry voice that was made to have woman swoon over. “I am impressed you are so fast. Though, I should not be. You are a young and _strong_ hunter, after all, and very handsome as well.” The way the vampire looked at him sent a wave of disgust through Lovino. “Tell me, how would you like to trade in that weapon of yours for immortality?” 

Lovino scoffed. “I’ll pass.”

A grin spread onto the creature’s visage. “That is not your choice to make, hunter.” The vampire took a sudden step forward but did not attack. The movement, however, had still startled Lovino into taking a step back. He glared at the vampire and finally decided he had enough. He pressed the gun’s trigger just as he felt an immense pain come from his neck. The bullet missed the vampire and collided with a brick wall. The gun’s noise cancelled out the scream Lovino let out as the pair of fangs sank deeper into his neck and drained his blood. 

In front him, the vampire’s grin widened. “You look surprised, hunter. Have you never seen two vampires working together? You must be young, indeed.” 

“Fuck you.” Lovino gritted through his teeth, trying desperately to pull out of the second vampire’s- the man he had initially thought was a victim in all this- grasp. It was getting increasingly difficult to do so. His mind was getting increasingly fuzzy the more blood was taken from him, and his limbs were starting to feel numb. He didn’t even notice when his hand’s grip on his gun loosened and fell to the floor. The vampire took the chance to kick the gun far away into the darkness, and then refocused his attention on Lovino. 

“Do not completely drain him, Sorin.” The vampire cupped Lovino’s cheek fondly. “He will not survive the transformation otherwise.” 

All Lovino wanted to do at that moment was curse both vampires out, but he was rapidly losing any coherent thought. His trembling legs finally collapsed from under him and he fell onto his knees, the vampire- Sorin- still attached to his neck. The other had since backed away after Lovino fell, smiling maliciously at the sight. Black spots invaded Lovino’s field of vision, as his consciousness grew fuzzier and fuzzier. He closed his eyes, ready to submit to his fate. His only regret would be not being able to personally kill the demon that started everything-

The sound of a gunshot brought Lovino to open his eyes. His vision was still blurry, and the pitch darkness didn’t help either, so he couldn’t see where the shot came from. He could only feel the pair of fangs in his neck retract in a quick movement that made him groan. There was a scream behind him, but it was cut short by another round of the gun. Lovino could feel the ashes of the vampire land on his exposed neck. He considered brushing them off when the remaining vampire let out a gasp. Lovino turned his head- and winced from the throbbing pain in his neck- to see a wooden stake protruding from the monster’s chest. It wasn’t long before he turned to ash as well, revealing the man who had just killed both vampires in a matter of seconds. 

Lovino scowled at the man. “Why the fuck are you here Antonio?” 

Antonio ignored his annoyance and kneeled in front of him with a handkerchief in hand. His green eyes held obvious worry in them that Lovino almost had to look away. “How’s your neck? Do you feel lightheaded?” 

“I’m fine” Lovino mumbled. “The bastard barely broke skin.” 

Antonio raised an eyebrow and pressed the handkerchief against Lovino’s neck. “You’re still bleeding, Lovi. This should help the blood clot if you keep pressing it like this.” He took Lovino’s hand and replaced it with his own that was keeping the piece of cloth on his neck. Antonio quickly looked him over, much to Lovino’s annoyance, and smiled. “Besides your neck, you look fine. Do you think you can stand on you own? I can carry you if you wa-“ 

“I’m not a fucking damsel in distress.” Lovino snapped, slowly getting up to his feet. He stumbled a bit, and slapped Antonio’s hands away from holding him. His mind was slowly clearing up now that no more blood was being drained from him. “And you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here? This isn’t your hunt, bastard.” 

At this Antonio huffed in amusement and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Actually, it is. You didn’t read the details of this hunt, did you?” Before Lovino could deny that, Antonio unfolded the paper and began reading. “Because this vampire has been known to work with a partner, hunters should work together to reduce danger. Multiple hunters can claim this hunt, even if they are not affiliated with each other.” Lovino frowned and looked away, mumbling about how weird Antonio was for being able to read in the dark. Antonio shrugged and placed the paper back in his coat. “You’re welcome, Lovi.”

Lovino glared at him. “I didn’t thank you.”

Antonio didn’t argue more with Lovino- years of knowing him had taught him there was no point to it- and instead stood back up and dusted himself off. He offered a hand to Lovino, who looked at it wearily. Antonio bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “Lovi-“

“I don’t need your help.”

“Lars wanted to go over your birthday party tomorrow.” Lovino’s eyes widened at what Antonio said but managed to calm his expression back to something more neutral. “He asked me to find you so we can go to _Tramonto_ as soon as possible.”

“Wait,” Lovino looked at him incredulously. “He asked _you_?”

Antonio smiled again, but this time it was strained. It was the default expression every time Lars was mentioned, though Lovino didn’t exactly know why the two had such a tense relationship. “He didn’t really have a choice. Bella hasn’t returned yet.” 

Lovino cursed and took Antonio’s hand without any more resistance. As soon as he was on his feet, he began making his- slightly wobbly- way out of the alley. When he heard no footsteps following him he turned back around to snap at the Spaniard to hurry up, and let out a startled scream when Antonio was less than a foot behind him. He backed up and almost lost his balance, but Antonio quickly wrapped an arm around his waist and steadied him out. “Are you okay?” The worry was evident in his voice. “You lost a lot of blood, maybe you shouldn’t walk so soon-“

“I-I’m fine!” Lovino flushed and tried his best on ignoring how close he was to Antonio. For once the Spaniard seemed to sense the atmosphere and let go of him with a sheepish smile. Lovino coughed and turned his back to him again. “Come on, bastard, don’t slow me down.” He mumbled, though there was no malice behind his words. Had anyone asked, he would blame it on the blood loss though the bright red on his cheeks would have contradicted that. At that moment he was grateful for Antonio’s oblivious personality. 

Though he didn’t turn back this time, Lovino could tell Antonio was following him by the soft click of his boots against the pavement. The quiet was almost comforting and Lovino tilted his head upwards to catch a glimpse of the moon partially hiding behind some clouds. It reminded him of when his grandfather told him and his brother a bedtime story about werewolves, and how they would transform to horrible creatures once the full moon was out, but they would turn back to humans if the clouds shrouded the moon. Feliciano had felt bad for the werewolves saying they were cursed human and didn’t deserve to be killed- while Lovino had dutifully sided with his grandfather that a monster was a monster. 

Several years later, though, when Lovino placed a silver bullet into a werewolf’s skull for the first time, and stared into the very frightened eyes of the beast before him, he faintly understood just why his brother had felt the way he did. 

\------------------

_Tramonto_ was a small restaurant south of the city. It was the oldest building in the town, built with faded-red bricks and wooden planks, and the best place to grab a late dinner. Just like its name suggested, the restaurant opened at sunset and closed at sunrise. The previous owners had wanted to be unique- a gamble that ended up with them having to sell the place. The current owner kept the hours to supply the city’s hunters with a place to meet and relax- that and to help the occasional drunk person who stumbled in so they didn’t become a victim of whatever was out there that night. 

There were only a few people lounging near the bar when Lovino and Antonio walked in. Lars was nowhere to be found, so Lovino sat on of the tables far from the other hunters. Antonio quietly sat himself across from him, his eyes showing just how confused he was. “He said he’d be here…” 

Lovino shrugged. “Something must have come up.” 

“Something did.” Lovino snapped his head and saw Eliot- the owner of the restaurant- walking towards them with a tray of drinks. He handed Antonio a glass of whiskey, while Lovino received a mug of hot chocolate. Lovino scowled at the mug while Eliot laughed, taking a seat besides him with his own glass of bourbon. “Don’t look so mad, Lovino. You know Lars would have my head if I ever gave you alcohol before your birthday.” 

At the mention of his birthday, Lovino looked away and preoccupied himself with his hot chocolate. Eliot internally smacked himself for striking a nerve and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re going to be fine-“

“Eliot.” Antonio tapped the man’s forehead to get his attention, making the hair covering his left eye part slightly, revealing a scar for half a second, before Eliot fixed it, taking his hand off Lovino in the process. “You said something came up, sí?” 

“Ah, yes,” Eliot sighed. “You know how Bella was supposed to be gathering supplies for tomorrow night? She found something on the outskirts of the next town over, very close to where you live Lovino.” 

Antonio’s eyes flickered towards Lovino. “What did she find?” 

“Wolf tracks.” Eliot answered, his eyes also eyeing Lovino with worry. “But they were bigger and deeper than a normal wolf’s, not to mention they were covered in blood.” Eliot took a sip of his drink as he contemplating on saying the next part, but knew it’d be best to say it now than wait until it was too late. “Bella said the entire area reeked of sulfur. Most likely, they were hellhounds. Lars went to go help Bella check the areas for any demons…”

Lovino didn’t bother concentrating on the rest of what Eliot had to say, too lost in his own thoughts to listen in. The presence of hellhounds in the town, especially so near to his home, sent a cold chill through him. Despite knowing that that this would happen- he had seen it happen to others many times before after all- he couldn’t help but suddenly be afraid. Tomorrow night would be his eighteenth birthday- the time when his contract would end and his soul would belong to the red-eyed demon. When hellhounds would barge in at the stroke of midnight, howling and barking and clawing their way until they rip him apart like his grandfather- 

“Oh, I almost forgot!” A folded piece of paper stood in Lovino’s line of vision. Lovino blinked and took the paper in his hand, confusion etched onto his face. Eliot chuckled. “Lars said to hand this to you once you came in. He said you knew what it’d be.” Eliot stood up and motioned for Antonio to stand up as well. The Spaniard raised an eyebrow. “Let’s get you a refill on that drink, and maybe some food for Lovino. He looks a bit pale, don’t you think?” 

At that Antonio stood and followed Eliot back to the counter. He turned to look at Lovino opening the note, before Eliot grabbed his arm and led him to the far end of the bar. “Eliot-“

“He needs some time alone.” Eliot spoke softly and full of understanding as he refilled Antonio’s glass. “It’s not easy having a demon after you. I should know.” He lightly touched the bangs over his left eye before smiling grimly at Antonio. “Once they are obsessed with someone, they will not stop until they are dead.” 

Something flickered in Antonio’s eyes, but he stayed quiet. Eliot sighed- Antonio was only talkative to Lovino, it seemed- and went to the backroom to make some food for the young Italian. 

Meanwhile, Lovino had hardly registered he was alone, too busy blinking back tears from what the note contained. 

_I checked with Elizabeta a few hours ago. Feliciano is doing well._

Lars was not the affectionate type- Lovino could count the number of times the man had hugged him- but goddammit if he wasn’t the best goddamn guardian he could’ve asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lars being a great big brother to Lovino is my favorite, okay?  
>  ~~And yeah I used the Buffy way of killing vamps instead of the Supernatural way because I love both shows and I can't choose between them~~


	4. Chapter 4

Eliot decided to close the restaurant early. There were only a few, very drunk, hunters hanging out by the bar and the sun was about an hour or so away from rising. Lovino and Antonio had left a while ago, the latter insisting on escorting Lovino back home– something Antonio always did no matter how many times Lovino told him not to. Much to both Antonio’s and Eliot’s surprise, Lovino hadn’t uttered a single word against it. He merely clutched Lar’s note in his hand and headed to the exit, muttering _‘hurry up’_ to Antonio before completely closing the door. Antonio looked baffled for a second before running out of the building, shouting at Lovino to wait for him. They had completely forgotten about Eliot, it seemed. 

He would have been offended had he not been so worried for Lovino. 

Bella hadn’t told him the full story, but he knew enough to know that Lovino had made a deal with some red-eyed demon when he was only ten years old. The demon had apparently been rather eccentric in the details– instead of the usual ten-year rule, the demon offered to wait for the boys to turn eighteen to fulfill the contract – and it bothered Eliot. Demons had a set of twisted values they followed, which was what made them a bit easier to hunt down, but this one was different. This demon had not only been able to keep himself anonymous throughout the years, but also managed to keep a low profile– no sightings or contracts whatsoever. There weren’t many demons with the self-control to be able to do that. 

If only there were more hunters willing to cooperate. Many from local areas had looked for information as a late courtesy to Julius Vargas, but would not actually involve themselves in such a twisted situation. Eliot could hardly blame him- he himself was anxious about the whole thing. There were too many risks, too many things that could go wrong. It was practically suicidal to even try to fight against such a shrewd demon but Lovino wasn’t risking his life for himself. It wasn’t even for revenge for his grandfather. This was all for the sake of the youngest of the Vargas siblings, Feliciano Vargas. 

It left a bitter taste in his mouth to think that Feliciano knew nothing about the lengths his older brother would go for him, but that was how Lovino wanted it to be. Bella and Eliot had tried to make him see reason, but it was no use. Lovino truly took after his father and grandfather– always putting himself second when it came to people he cared deeply for. He truly was a Vargas, Eliot mused. 

After cleaning everything up and locking the front door, Eliot went upstairs to his small apartment. He pulled out a cigarette and a lighter and placed the stick between his teeth as he tried to light his cigarette. He rarely smoked, especially before sleeping, but he felt too jittery and tense. He doubted he could get a goodnight’s rest, anyway, what with him constantly thinking about demons and contracts and sacrifice. 

Eliot gently ran a hand over the scar on his right eye. “When someone sacrifices themselves for their family,” He mused, “it never has a happy ending.” 

 ------------------

Lovino made his way through the empty streets of the town with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. There was a chill in the morning air that suggested the first morning rays of sunshine would soon begin to peak out from the horizon. Soon enough the townspeople would begin to wake up and begin the day oblivious to the creatures of the night that hunters like him faced constantly. It wasn’t as if Lovino harbored any bitterness towards anyone because of this, but there were times, however, when he felt put off by their ignorance and wished that monsters and hunters were common knowledge– things would simply be easier if the common people were aware of what lurked around in the dark. 

But then he would remember the look his brother wore the night their grandfather–no, the monster that resembled their _nonno_ – had tried to kill them. Feliciano’s dilated pupils and pale skin, the tears running down his cheeks and his screams that wouldn’t stop until his voice went out, it was all burned into Lovino’s memories with a painful clarity. He didn’t blame Feliciano for wanting to forget, not anymore anyways. Had he’d been offered the same deal…

“Lovi…” 

Lovino stopped in his tracks, his boots making one last loud click against the cobblestone pavement. He turned his head back just enough to catch a sight of Antonio’s figure a few steps behind him, halting his steps only when he was right beside Lovino in the quiet streets of the town. Antonio sported a wide smile that Lovino knew meant he was about to say something ridiculous. 

“We haven’t eaten gelato in a while.” 

Lovino stared at Antonio dumbfounded. He knew Antonio was horrible at reading the atmosphere, but to think that he was _this_ clueless, “…Are you an idiot?” 

Antonio actually had the audacity to look shocked. “Why do you say that?” 

“B-because!” Lovino sputtered, affronted by Antonio’s oblivious personality. “We have to kill a demon in less than 24 hours and instead of being nervous _you fucking think about eating ice cream!_ Are you even human?” 

Antonio’s eyes widened. “That’s mean, Lovino. Of course I’m human-“ 

“That’s not what I meant!” Lovino huffed. The urge to smack Antonio was increasing with every word the Spaniard said. “It’s creepy how calm you are.” 

“Heh, I’m not as calm as you think.” Antonio laughed nervously. “Honestly, I’m scared for tonight. My hands are trembling, see? But panicking won’t make anything better. My brother used to say that to me all the time. So, I’d rather think about other things than freak about something I can’t avoid.” 

“And gelato’s that thing?” 

“I was thinking about your birthday, actually.” Lovino’s face warmed up. “Eighteen is an important age, after all. I was thinking we could get gelato in the evening since Bella and Lars will want to spend the whole day with you. Oh, and maybe we could go to Rome the next day to get you a present…” 

Lovino shook his head but couldn’t fight off the slight tilt of his lips as he listened to Antonio chatter on and on about his birthday. There was something about Antonio’s optimism that he couldn’t help but admire. Though Lovino would never say it out loud, it was a relief to hear Antonio cheerfully talk about the future. It meant he believed that Lovino still had one and that everything would be okay. He was overwhelmed with adoration for the man and his face felt warmer than it had before. “That’s bullshit.” He eventually said. He turned his back to Antonio and walked away only after seeing the utterly confused look on Antonio’s face. “ As if I’d ever go to Rome with you, bastard.” 

Lovino bit his lip to keep from laughing at Antonio’s sputtering. 

 ------------------

After Antonio had dropped him off on the front porch– the Spaniard never went inside for fear of pissing off Lars– Lovino didn’t bother going upstairs to his bedroom and decided the living room sofa was comfortable enough to sleep on. He lied down on his back and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come to him despite how fatigued he felt. There were too many things on his mind. 

His birthday was in less than a day and he was dreading every minute that passed that brought him closer to it. 

He could still vividly remember his first birthday he had spent with Bella and Lars. It had been a few weeks after Feliciano had been shipped away to Bella’s friend in Austria. Lovino, still feeling intense guilt and sadness, had not even remembered it was his own birthday until the late evening. He had been laying on his back in the garden when Bella had come over with a picnic basket in one hand and Lars in the other. While Lars set up the blanket, Bella had given him a hug and gently stroked his hair. The motion reminded him of his grandfather, which then reminded him of his brother, and the tears flowed out before he could stop them. 

Bella hadn’t been surprised at all. She wrapped her arms tight around him and let him cry on her shoulder until he stopped sniffling. Neither she nor Lars gave him any words of comfort, much to his relief. He hadn’t wanted to hear things like _“You’re grandfather and brother wouldn’t want to see you crying like this on your birthday”_ or _“It’ll be okay, Lovi, everything will be alright.”_ All he wanted to do was cry out for his nonno and Feli. 

Once everything was out of his system, Bella had guided him towards the blanket. The cake had been placed in the center with the words “Happy Birthday!” written at the top center in green icing. Under the words, there was a drawing of three stick figures holding hands– one with a bow, one with a curl, and the other with a triangle for hair. Lars had looked away, slightly red in the face, when Bella mentioned he decorated the cake. 

The memory never failed to bring a smile on his face and he was asleep before he realized it. 

\------------------

Lovino woke up covered in sweat, his heart pounding wildly against his chest, and a sick feeling in his stomach. He ran to the bathroom and threw up in the sink until the contents of his stomach were emptied. He looked at himself in the mirror – his skin was as pale as a sheet and there were tears running down his face. He turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water onto his face, repeating to himself that the cry of hellhounds and Feliciano’s mangled body was only a dream and nothing more. 

He gripped the cross around his neck and murmured a prayer. He stayed in the bathroom until he heard Bella’s voice call out to him, followed by Lars’s. Lovino pressed his lips to the cross for a second before tucking it back underneath his shirt. He turned the faucet off, grabbed a nearby towel, and dried his face. Bella called out his name again and he responded with _‘I’ll be down soon!’_. He looked at the mirror one last time, relieved to see that some color had returned to his face (his eyes were red but he could blame it on the lack of sleep). “It was just a dream.” Lovino muttered to his reflection. “Just a dream.” 

Nevertheless, his hands didn’t stop trembling until an hour later. 

\------------------

If Lovino had learned anything from the four years he had been hunting monsters, it was that it was practically suicidal to take on a demon alone. Fighting in numbers always increased the chance of survival, which was why everyone who had been invited to his birthday party– had been a hunter. From where Lovino was standing, which was far away from his _party guests_ (if they could even be called that) as possible, there were about fifteen or so people in his backyard. Some were sitting down and chatting with each other –Lars had borrowed some tables and chairs from Elliot’s restaurant and placed them around their backyard – as they ate the snacks Bella had prepared. The Jensenn siblings themselves were sitting down and talking to a few people Lovino didn’t recognize. Then again, most of these hunters were strangers to him. The only ones he truly knew were Bella, Lars, and Antonio. 

Speaking of the Spaniard, Lovino looked around the backyard and found the man talking animatedly with a few men near the forest. He must have been telling a joke since his audience began to laugh. Antonio laughed along and glanced at where Lovino was leaning against the house. He waved at him and Lovino scoffed but waved back. Antonio beamed and soon returned his attention to the others. Lovino found it odd how everyone in the vicinity appeared calm when there were only about ten minutes left until midnight. 

Ten minutes. 

Lovino swallowed the excess saliva gathering inside of his mouth and headed towards the refreshments table for a cup of water. He reached for the nearest cup and accidentally brushed the fingertips of a hand that had been reaching for the same cup. Lovino retracted his hand as if he had touched fire. 

“Terribly sorry, I would have gotten a different cup had I seen you. ” The owner of the hand said. The first thing Lovino noticed about the man was his voice– his words were accented by something Lovino wasn’t familiar with. The man was obviously a foreigner, but Bella and Lars knew a variety of hunters from all over Europe so it wasn’t anything unique. No, the most striking thing about the man were his eyes. They were green but they weren’t like Antonio’s. While Antonio’s eyes were full of warmth and cheer, his were practically glowing in the night. It made the man look otherworldly, almost ethereal even. Almost like–

“Are you alright?” The man asked him, the concern clear in his voice. “Perhaps you’re feeling ill? Your face is a tad red…” 

Lovino’s face turned a deeper red as he realized he must’ve been openly gaping at the man. He tore his eyes away to the cup of water that had started everything. “I-I’m fine.” He managed to stutter out. “Just-“

“Nervous?” The man supplied. “Afraid?” 

“I’m not afraid.” Lovino snapped a bit too quickly, if the look of shock on the other man was anything to go by. Lovino resisted the urge to curse; Bella would lecture him for hours for being impolite to a guest. He decided to forget about drinking anything and opened his mouth to excuse himself but the man began speaking again.

“You should be. Afraid, that is.” Lovino made the terrible mistake of looking the man in the eye. His body was paralyzed under the fiendish look the man was giving him. The smirk on his face widened into a grin that sent a shiver down Lovino’s spine. “Underestimate the enemy and you’re as good as dead. I believe that’s the first thing a hunter learns, correct? Well, that and how to shoot a gun.” The man laughed at his own words. He didn’t at all seem bothered by Lovino’s silence. “Many believe the two are one in the same. The more weapons one has, the better the chances of winning. These are the hunters that, ah, _retire_ the earliest.” The man picked up a cup and took a sip of water from it, breaking eye contact and freeing Lovino from whatever spell had been put on him. 

“Who the hell are you?” Lovino demanded. The man simply smiled. His eyes focused on the cup in his hand as he swished the liquid around as if it were a glass of wine. 

“An acquaintance of Antonio’s. Or perhaps we’re friends.” He shrugged. “One can never know with him. Where was I? Ah, yes, the incompetence of simple-minded hunters. Weapons are fine and all, but they’re just nuisances if the hunter doesn’t _think_. Humans are perhaps the most creative beings in existence and yet they come up with such elementary plans, such as setting up a devil’s trap and hoping the demon falls for it.” The man paused to take a sip of water and placed the empty cup back on the table. He lifted his head and once again Lovino was transfixed by the delight that danced in the other’s eyes. 

“There _is_ a point to all this talk.” He continued. “Considering it is your birthday and it’s five minutes until midnight, I’ll cut to the chase– a human is obviously weaker than any supernatural being, both in the physical and mental sense, and yet humans are the ones winning this eternal war. Do you know why that is?” He didn’t wait for Lovino to answer, not that he could anyway. “It’s because a human is exactly that– a _human_. A being that’s neither angelic nor demonic but a mixture of both. It is one’s humanity that makes humans much more threatening than any monster hiding under a bed. Without it, well,” The man grinned,” you wouldn’t be any different than the beings you’re fighting. Humans who lose it always have a tragic ending, however those who completely give into it also share the same fate. It would do you well to remember that.” 

The man pulled out a pocket watch from his pants pocket, opened it, and checked the time. “This information is free of charge, in light of it being a special day for you. I wish you the best of luck at handling the demon, Lovino Vargas. He tends to arrive early to surprise his victims. Do say hello for Antonio for me, will you?” He then said something in a language Lovino didn’t recognize, before closing the pocket watch with a loud _click_. 

Lovino felt someone shake his shoulders. 

He opened his eyes and saw a very amused Antonio in front of him. “Hello Lovi, did you have a good nap?” 

“Nap?” Lovino muttered distractedly, looking around to see that he had somehow fallen asleep against the house near the refreshments table. Bella and Lars were surrounding the table with a few others. 

“Sí, you’ve been asleep for a few minutes.” Antonio laughed, though it sounded strained. “…It’s almost midnight. There’s about two minutes left, I think. We need to be in position”

Lovino nodded and stood up, ignoring the hand Antonio had offered him. As they walked over to where Bella and Lars were, Antonio spoke. “Did you have a nice dream, at least?” 

“Who knows?” Lovino shrugged, still a bit dazed from being woken up. He couldn’t remember much of it. There was a man, that much he recalled, that had been spouting some nonsense at him and then spoke in a strange language…what had the man said again? 

Unconsciously, Lovino muttered the words the man had last said. He missed Anonio flinch and was unaware of the pale, horrified look on his face. Bella had reached for him as soon as he was close enough to the table and dragged him passed several hunters until he was in the middle with Lars. “Do you have your gun? How about your blade?” She fretted over him, making sure everything was in its place. “You remember what to do right?” 

“Yeah.” Lovino gripped his blade’s handle and took a deep breath. “Kill the bastard.” 

“Language, Lovi.” Bella chastised half heartily before turning to her brother. “Lars?” 

“Ten seconds.” Lars answered the unspoken question, gesturing to the pocket watch in his hand. Lovino stared at the watch and wondered why he felt so uneasy looking at it. He dismissed the thought and focused on his surroundings. 

“Five.” 

It was so quiet Lovino could hear how fast his heart was beating inside his chest. 

“Three.” Lars closed his pocket watch and a _click_ , the sound echoing in the silence. 

“Two.” The sound resonated something within Lovino, but he wasn’t sure what. Something about the dream he had, about a green-eyed man with a pocket watch and a warning–

“ _One_.” Somebody whispered in his ear, grabbing a hold of him from behind, and dragging him away from the others before Lovino had time to scream.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : This chapter contains gore, violence, and character death.

Lovino barely registered the look of horror on Bella’s face when something grabbed him by the waist and dragged him backwards into the forest. Instinctively, Lovino brought his arm up to try to stab the demon, but the demon grabbed the blade and threw it at the nearest hunter– right in the forehead. Lovino reached for his gun and blindly shot behind him. The demon tensed for a fraction of the second and hissed, but didn’t slow in his movements. He merely tightened his hold on Lovino’s stomach to stop his movement. Lovino gasped and dug his nails into the arm around him, but the demon continued on unfazed.

Several bullets embedded themselves near Lovino’s feet and one whizzed passed his left temple. The demon hissed and used his free arm to grab Lovino’s wrist, which was still clutching onto the gun, and moved his arm as if he was a puppet so the barrel would press against his neck. The cool feel of the metal sent shivers down Lovino’s spine and for a second it felt like he had lost the battle, that he had failed his grandfather and brother, when the demon suddenly stopped moving. He had stopped near the edge of the forest, a few steps away from where a devil’s trap had been dug around the backyard ended. The garden, along with the tables and chairs spread throughout it, camouflaged the sigil well enough that the demon could not see it until he was already inside it.

The demon cursed as the hunters caught up to them and surrounded the two, weapons at the ready. For a long minute no one moved or spoke. The only sounds that permeated the tense atmosphere were the strained gasps from Lovino. He felt the demon shift slightly and fought off the wave of disgust when the demon sighed and the warm breathe touched his neck. “How boring.” The bastard actually sounded disappointed. “This is so predictable. And here I thought it would be a challenge….”

One of the hunters scoffed. “If it’s so predictable then why’d you fall for it?”

“To make things more interesting, of course!” The demon spoke as if it was obvious. “What fun would it be to just take him?” Lovino flinched as the demon pressed the gun’s barrel deeper into his neck, guaranteeing a bruise. He continued to talk, but this time his attention was on Lovino. “I heard of the things your grandfather and mother did, and since you have the same blood I thought it would be worth my while, but apparently I was wrong. I don’t know why he wants you if this is the best you got. I should just finish you off myself and get a head start on that brother of yours–“ The demon screamed as a bullet sliced his cheek. Blood pooled down his face and seeped into Lovino’s clothes. The demon glared at Lars, who steadily continued to point his gun at him as if he hadn’t just pulled the trigger. The grip on his wrist loosened and Lovino didn’t hesitate in retaking control of the gun and shooting the arm around his stomach. The demon screamed and his hold weakened even more.

Lovino pushed the demon away from him and ran outside of the circle. As he stepped out, he heard multiple guns go off, followed by the yells of the demon. Someone called his name and a wave of relief coursed through him when he realized it was Antonio. The Spaniard had ducked behind a tree close to where he was, so Lovino quickly went over to him. As soon as he did, Antonio pulled him close and did a quick inspection of him, a frown settling on his face at the redness of Lovino’s neck. “Well, at least it’s better than the vampire bite.” He finally said with a strained smile.

“Yeah…” Lovino looked in the direction of the garden, and, even though he couldn’t see the dead hunter, he began to feel guilty. “Better than a knife to the head, I guess.”

“Lovi,” Antonio’s voice was stern and the hands that were still on his shoulders tightened their grip on him,” you can’t think like that.”

Lovino refused to look him in the eye. “Like what?”

“Like it’s your fault if someone gets injured or dies.” Lovino winced and looked at the ground. “He knew the risks of being here, we all do. We’re hunters, after all.” Antonio moved his hands to cup Lovino’s face and tenderly angled his head so their eyes met. “We have to be strong when our comrades die because, if we don’t, then no one will be alive to remember them. That’s the first rule of being hunter, Lovi.”

“…And here I thought it was how to shoot a gun.” Lovino muttered.

The corners of Antonio’s lips twitched. “That, too.” His thumb stroked Lovino’s cheek almost fondly. “You’re going to be fine, Lovino.” Antonio’s voice was filled with an intensity Lovino wasn’t familiar with. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Lovino could feel his face warming up and opened his mouth to throw an insult, a jab, anything to dispel that odd feeling in his chest, when Antonio stiffened. “The guns have stopped.” He whispered.

A shiver ran down Lovino’s spine when he realized Antonio was right. The forest had gone frighteningly quiet. Lovino grew more anxious as the seconds ticked by and he heard no animals, no gunshots, no voices–

Bella’s voice pierced through the forest in a bone-chilling scream that froze Lovino to the core. Lovino didn’t think. He ripped himself free from Antonio’s grasp and ran back towards the forest’s edge, ignoring Antonio’s protests. He broke through the trees, gun at the ready, but the sight of blood pooling down Bella’s legs, dripping onto the ground as she was held upside down like freshly killed livestock, petrified him.

Bella was thrown into the small pile of bodies next to the demon when the monster caught sight of him. The demon grinned, eyes glowing a vicious red, as he walked towards him. He didn’t even flinch as he crossed over the demon trap– as if it wasn’t even there.

He was all bloodied and disfigured from the bullets embedded into his flesh, yet still walked like nothing was wrong. There was a revolver in his hand that was aimed at Lovino’s chest. His eyes were wide and filled with a dark euphoria as they fixed onto him, grin stretching wider and wider at the horror and distraught Lovino was unable to hide.

_Monster,_ was the only thing Lovino was able to think as he watched the demon laugh and pull the trigger.

The bullet missed Lovino and embedded itself into the ground a few feet away. The demon’s grin stood frozen as he looked down and saw a blade impaled through his chest, right through his heart. The demon grabbed Lars’s arm and swung him forward. He landed on his back and bit back a grunt when the demon slammed his foot on his chest. The demon placed more and more pressure, eagerly waiting for the cracking sounds of ribs breaking, but staggered away from Lars when a bullet embedded itself into his shoulder. Lovino pulled the trigger again but the demon dodged. The demon laughed and pointed the revolver at Lars’s head, but Lars had already moved away. He ran his blade through the demon’s chest again and this time the demon went limp. The demon muttered something that Lovino couldn’t hear but whatever it was made Lars twist the blade in further until the demon went permanently quiet.

Lars shoved the corpse away from him and almost instantly collapsed to his knees. Lovino was next to him in an instant. “Lars, what–!”

“Shapeshifter.” Lars grunted out.

“What are you–“

“He was a shapeshifter!” Lars wheezed. “Look at the eyes.”

Lovino’s eyes snapped towards the body a few feet away from them. A pair of glazed _golden_ irises stood in the place of the scarlet eyes that haunted Lovino’s dreams. Suddenly, it made sense. The way the demon had mentioned a ‘he’, how he was able to leave the demon trap unscathed….

“Fuck,” Lovino growled, hands clawing at the dirt underneath him. Dread filled his stomach. The injuries, the dead hunters, _Bella_ – and the demon hadn’t even shown his face. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck–!“_

Lovino drew in a sharp breath as several howls came from the forest. He turned his attention towards the forest as the howls became louder as the seconds passed by, the noise almost drowning out fast pounding of his heart. Werewolves didn’t have such demented growls, let alone normal dogs, which meant–

“LOVINO, GET BACK IN THE CIRCLE!” Antonio’s voice pierced through the noise before it was drowned out by a scream. And then another. And another.

Lovino watched in horror as the remaining hunters were tackled down by hellhounds and torn into. Their flesh easily gave away to claws and teeth and blood sprayed everywhere as their bodies were mangled and decimated. Their blood-curdling screams joined the growls of the demon dogs in a vile melody that turned Lovino’s stomach.

“Bella!” Lovino heard Lars scream. He frantically scanned the garden and saw Bella– injured and bloodied but _alive_ – on the ground, shooting at the hellhound approaching her. Lars tried to get up but was slammed back down to the ground as a hellhound dug its teeth into his leg and began dragging him into the forest.

Claws dug into Lovino’s side and prevented him from going after him. He couldn’t help screaming as the hellhound embedded them deeper and deeper into his flesh. Suddenly, the hound trembled and let out a howl of pain, retracting its claws and quickly backing away from him.

Antonio stepped in between him and the hellhound and shot the hound in the head. Once the hellhound fell to the ground, Antonio turned to Lovino and his eyes went wide. Before he could react, Antonio pushed him out of the way of three hellhounds. The creatures forced him to the ground and Antonio screamed.

Fear paralyzed Lovino from doing anything and he could only helplessly watch as the people around him were mercilessly killed.

He wanted to scream, scream until his throat was raw and sore and painful, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not when everyone else’s voices were slowly quieting down.

_It’s all your fault,_ he thought.

The stench of blood was so potent that he almost gagged.

_You should never have brought them into this._

Bella was cornered, Lars was out of bullets, Antonio wasn’t moving.

_They’re going to die because of you._

His grandfather’s mangled body, Feliciano’s screams–

“Just give me what I want,” A voice purred behind him,” and it’ll stop.”

Lovino didn’t need to turn around to know who was behind him. He could easily imagine those red eyes taking in the carnage and practically glowing in glee. God, how he hated him. He hated him _so fucking much–_

But he loved his makeshift family too much to let this continue.

_Lars, Bella, Antonio. Please, don’t let him get Feli, too._

Lovino blinked away tears and turned around to face the red-eyed demon. “Stop it.” His voice was hoarse but there was no hesitation in his tone. He looked into the demon’s eyes and spoke what he knew were his final words. “You win.”

Gilbert Beilschmidt grinned as he snapped his fingers. The growls immediately stopped and the hellhounds retreated into the forest. Lovino wanted to turn around and see how many were alive, if any, but he didn’t want to see any more corpses. He had enough. He wanted it to be over.

Gilbert cupped his bloodied cheek and stroked the stained skin with his thumb. “Good boy.” He patted him on the head, just like an owner would to his dog, before he gripped Lovino’s hair tightly and roughly slammed their lips together.

Lovino screamed as he felt something being torn away from him. He tried pushing Gilbert away but he was too weak.

He was always too weak. 

Soon enough, his arms and legs felt too heavy for him and he collapsed onto his knees. Gilbert kept a tight hold on him as his mind clouded up and his vision turned spotty. He didn’t hear the people screaming his name and he barely felt it when the demon finally pulled away and laid him on the bloodstained grass. He could only see the image of his brother and grandfather, smiling and laughing like they used to.

He didn’t take his eyes off them. Even when everything faded to black and their images were long gone, he continued to look at the spot where they once were.

He only looked away when Lars closed his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Can anyone guess the name of the flower mentioned?


End file.
